Plans for Memorial Splashpark continuing

Rotary Club member Eileen Sedgwick holds a gift card that people can buy to help support a proposed splashpark for Clearwater. They will be on sale at a table in Safety Mart plus at several upcoming craft fairs.

Proponents of a proposed splashpark for Clearwater are still working on the project, according to Debbie Mayer, one of the organizers.

“We’ve heard nothing but positive comments about this project,” she reported. “Some people have said, ‘Why wasn’t this done 25 years ago?’”

The recent success by the Raft River Elementary School PAC in getting a proposed playground for intermediate students into the semi-final round of a contest sponsored by Aviva Insurance was a good thing for both projects, Mayer said.

“They are two different projects targeting two different user groups,” she pointed out.

“The splashpark would be used by infants to age 10 plus their families. The Raft River playground is targeted towards the older students at the school, and would be used primarily during school hours.”

Mayer thinks the simple approach is the best for fundraising. She would like to see 1,000 people or their families donate $150 each towards the splashpark project.

That’s only $50 over three paycheques towards a project that people can enjoy for generations.

They have already seen several people contribute that way.

The splashpark account now sits at $11,450, she says. Of this, $10,000 is a donation from the Mayer family, while the rest is contributions from others.

Another approach underway is to sell gift cards.

People can buy the cards from a Rotary Club table at Safety Mart or during several upcoming craft sales.

On the agenda are the Vavenby craft sale on Nov. 3, the Blackpool sale on Nov. 23, and the sale at the Elks on the Nov. 30 weekend.

The cards cost a minimum of $10 and would be an ideal gift for Christmas or other occasions.

A message in the card says a donation has been made in the recipient’s name towards the splashpark, but does not say how much.

The Mommies’ Book Club is working with Success by Six to develop coupon books that also can be given as gifts.

Clearwater and area businesses are being approached to designate certain items to be sold at a discount through the coupon books in a buy-local campaign.

Coming up in January will be the Jack Patterson Memorial Hockey Tournament. Nora Patterson, the widow of the former Clearwater ambulance chief, has asked that the proceeds of the tourney go towards the splashpark.

The hockey event has previously been held right after Christmas but this season it will be held as part of Hockey Week in mid-January.

Donations to the splashpark can be made at the Interior Savings Credit Union Clearwater branch into the Memorial Splashpark – Clearwater Rotary account.